


I Hope You Dance

by LissaMU



Category: Pride and Prejudice & Related Fandoms, Pride and Prejudice (1995), Pride and Prejudice - Jane Austen
Genre: Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Elderly Darcy, F/M, Sappy, Widower Darcy
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-09-24
Updated: 2018-09-24
Packaged: 2019-07-16 15:15:45
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Major Character Death
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,594
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16088726
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/LissaMU/pseuds/LissaMU
Summary: Since losing his beloved wife, William Darcy hasn't been the same. But when his granddaughter's radio starts playing a familiar tune, he's taken back to happier days.





	I Hope You Dance

**Author's Note:**

> Inspired by the song 'I Hope You Dance' by Lee Ann Womack. Full disclosure, I hate this song, but it was on the radio one day and this story basically popped into my head fully formed. It's super sappy with a happyish sad ending, and it makes me cry every time I even look at it.

_And when you get the choice to sit it out or dance, I hope you dance…_

William Darcy’s head snapped up from the book he was reading and turned towards his teenage granddaughter and the old stereo.

'What are you listening to, Maria?' he asked tentatively. 'Is that the radio?' 

'I guess so. Sorry granddad, is it bothering you?'

'No, no, just wondering what it is. It sounds familiar.'

'I think it’s a remake of some old American country song. Shall I turn it off?'

'Actually, would you mind making it a bit louder?' The young woman shrugged and turned the volume up. She had given up on trying to understand her grandfather’s moods. Ever since Granny Elizabeth had died the year before he had been a shell of his former self, and prone to behaving oddly from time to time. Darcy closed his eyes and listened to the lyrics, letting himself be transported to another time and place by the music…

* * * * * *

'Come Darcy, I must have you dance. I must! I hate to see you standing about in this stupid manner.'

'Bingley, kindly leave me alone. You know I hate these things, and if I have to dance with yet another vapid socialite I’ll scream. You have monopolised the only pleasant girl here, and to stand with anyone else would be a punishment.'

'She is an angel! But look, there’s one of her sisters sitting over there. I’m sure she’s just as pleasant, and not hard on the eyes either. Go on, I’ll have Jane introduce you if you like.' Darcy’s eyes passed quickly over the young lady in question, but could find nothing interesting about her whatsoever. Her gown was not as flamboyant as most there, but other than that she looked no different than the others.

'She’s all right, but not enough to tempt me to suffer another bloody country song. What is it with these bloody Americans and their bloody country music? Bloody sentimental bollocks.'

'I give up! Go sulk in a corner if you like. I’m going to enjoy myself!' Bingley strode off in search of his latest beauty and left Darcy alone at last. He sighed and slumped into a chair. He looked around the room, again wondering why he always came to these wretched things. He didn’t even like the Lucases, and he certainly didn’t share their taste in music. It was only because Mr. Lucas was one of his father’s partners that he felt obliged to attend. At least Mrs. Lucas had stopped trying to force Charlotte on him.

The song that had been playing finished, but he was not surprised to hear the strains of yet another country song begin. He groaned and raised up his head as if to ask God why such punishment was being inflicted on him; a pair of dark, sparkling eyes looked back at him. It was the woman Bingley had pointed out earlier, and from this distance he found that he had misjudged her. She was fairly pretty, but her eyes were quite striking indeed. She laughed at his look of surprise.

'I’m sorry that I couldn’t tempt you onto the dance floor Mr. Darcy, but I couldn’t resist asking you to listen carefully to this song. It’s one of my favourites, and as soon as it began playing I thought of you. Have a nice evening.' She smiled teasingly and left him sitting there with his mouth half open. 

_I hope you never fear those mountains in the distance, never settle for the path of least resistance…_

'Hmph,' he thought, 'what’s this got to do with me?'

His eyes followed the woman’s (for he had not gotten her name) form as she strode over to her sister and shared a private joke with her before getting her coat and leaving without another glance at him. Jane looked at him briefly with a grin and then returned to Bingley.

_And when you get the choice to sit it out or dance, I hope you dance…_

Darcy couldn’t help but smile at her little joke. With a shake of his head, he rose to find Charlotte to ask her to dance the next with him.

* * * * * *

'Are you ok granddad?' Maria asked him. He nodded and waved her off; he was afraid that if he tried to speak he would break down. 

_(Tell me who)_  
I hope you dance   
(Wants to look back on their youth and wonder)   
(Where those years have gone) 

More memories flooded back to him…

* * * * * * 

'Why, Mr. Darcy! What a surprise to see you here, I was under the impression that you hated this sort of thing.' Her bright eyes gleamed with mischief; clearly she enjoyed teasing him.

'You are mistaken Miss Bennet. It is simply an overabundance of sappy country music I cannot stand.'

'Not to your taste then? What, too unrefined for you?'

'It is sentimental rubbish. This song, for example… if you would honour me with this dance, I will explain further.' It was the same song she had mentioned at the Lucas party. He wondered if she would remember.

'Thank you, but I am not inclined to dance this evening.' Her tone was harder than he would have expected, but he was not put off.

'But Miss Bennet! You asked me to pay attention to these words a month ago, and I did. I danced several times after you left that night. Surely you would not be such a hypocrite as to deny me now.' She frowned, but after a few seconds realised that she would not get out of this one. 

'All right then. Just the one.' He led her out to the floor and pulled her close. Her hair smelled delightful, her body was warm against his. Darcy didn’t even notice the stiffness of her bearing, so greatly was he enjoying the pleasure of holding her. Their interactions between that first meeting and this evening had utterly bewitched him. How he enjoyed their battles of wit! Even now he could not resist baiting her.

'Now, as I was saying, songs such as this are silly sentimental tripe. For example, "I hope you still feel small when you stand by the ocean"? Please! Common platitudes to make the listener feel like a philosopher. And, "Promise me you'll give faith a fighting chance"? A poorly hidden reference to the conservative Christian message these southern Americans wildly preach. The whole song is a disgrace! Don’t you agree?' Elizabeth looked up at him with her fine eyes ablaze.

'Actually, I think it’s a very nice song. Fortunately for you, it’s over, and fortunately for me, this dance is over too.' She stalked off, leaving him standing in the middle of the floor embarrassed and confused.

* * * * * * 

'Did you know that granddad liked country music?' Maria asked her mother in the kitchen.

' _Your_ granddad? Are you joking? I never heard him listen to anything but classical.'

'Well, he’s listening to country right now. God knows what he’s thinking.'

'This I have to see.'

* * * * * *

'I still can’t believe you didn’t let me choose the song for our first dance as husband and wife,' Lizzy pouted as Darcy led her to the floor.

'I let you choose everything else, my dear. I only asked for this one thing. Thank you for humouring me.' He kissed the tip of her nose and nodded to the band. She recognised the tune within a few chords.

'Oh William! I thought you hated this sentimental tripe.' She was trying to tease him, but her voice was choked with emotion.

'Well… sometimes it’s appropriate.' He smiled and pulled her closer, silently singing along to the words he had come to know intimately since their first meeting. 

_Living might mean taking chances_  
But they're worth taking   
Lovin' might be a mistake   
But it's worth making… 

* * * * * *

The chorus was beginning to fade now, and Darcy’s eyes were full of tears. So many memories… after the wedding they played the song only when they were alone, as their own private dance each night. When Lizzy had become ill, he had played it by her bedside and swayed with his cheek against hers. He had not had the heart to play it at her funeral.

'I don’t believe it! When was the last time you stayed in your chair during that song?' He knew that voice…

'Lizzy?' he asked incredulously. And she was there before him, not the sickly old woman he had last seen, but as she had been when they’d first met. Young, beautiful, eyes twinkling with laughter.

'I thought I taught you a lesson mister. Have you gotten ornery in your old age?' 

'I don’t have anyone to dance with now, Lizzy. It wouldn’t be the same.'

'I guess you’ll just have to dance with me then. Come on, we’ll sing it.' She extended her hand; he took it and stood, no longer the frail old man he had become, but the tall, broad-shouldered young man he had been. 'That’s more like it. OK, sing with me. I hope you never lose your sense of wonder…'

He was sitting in the chair when Maria and her mother walked in. The smile on his face was so placid that at first they thought he had simply fallen asleep. When he could not be roused they realised the truth. For some reason Maria thought immediately of the radio, which was playing the final fading notes of the song her grandfather had asked to hear. She walked over to turn it off.

But it had not been on.


End file.
